Police: 5 shots strike man

Suspect in Albany hostage standoff, who has long rap sheet, is expected to live

By ROBERT GAVIN Staff writer

Published 12:37 pm, Friday, December 24, 2010

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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A tactical team of police officers enter 57 Westerlo St., Albany, where Cassandra Hernandez was being held hostage Thursday by an armed man identified as Isaac Peterson of the Bronx. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

A tactical team of police officers enter 57 Westerlo St., Albany, where Cassandra Hernandez was being held hostage Thursday by an armed man identified as Isaac Peterson of the Bronx. (John Carl D'Annibale / ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Two police officers carrying a grocery bag Thursday enter 57 Westerlo St. in Albany, where Cassandra Hernandez was being held hostage by an armed man identified as Isaac Peterson of the Bronx. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union) less

Two police officers carrying a grocery bag Thursday enter 57 Westerlo St. in Albany, where Cassandra Hernandez was being held hostage by an armed man identified as Isaac Peterson of the Bronx. (John Carl ... more

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Police take suspect Isaac Peterson into custody following a hostage situation on Westerlo Street in Albany from an armored car Friday morning December 23, 2010. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Police take suspect Isaac Peterson into custody following a hostage situation on Westerlo Street in Albany from an armored car Friday morning December 23, 2010. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Photo: John Carl D'Annibale

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Emergency personnel help Cassandra Hernandez to a waiting stretcher Thursday. Hernandez was the last hostage in a 15-hour standoff on Westerlo Street in Albany. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Emergency personnel help Cassandra Hernandez to a waiting stretcher Thursday. Hernandez was the last hostage in a 15-hour standoff on Westerlo Street in Albany. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

Peterson, who has at least 10 convictions in an extensive rap sheet, had leveled a .38 caliber revolver in the direction of police when he was shot, James said.

James, a 23-year veteran of the State Police, said someone who was shot five times would seemingly have a remote chance at survival. But he noted, in his experience he's seen drug users survive serious injury; he suspected Peterson was using cocaine and marijuana during the ordeal.

Peterson has only loose ties to the Capital Region. He had been in the area since Dec. 22, James said.

Peterson had gone to the building at 57 Westerlo St. late Wednesday to commit a home invasion in the second-floor apartment, where he believed marijuana and money could be found, the captain said during a press briefing at Troop G headquarters in Loudonville.

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After Peterson entered the building about 11:30 p.m., a man was in the doorway of the apartment he planned to rob. Peterson flashed a .38 caliber handgun and the man left. Peterson, in turn, went into the apartment where he held 28-year-old Cassandra Hernandez, her boyfriend and two of her young children captive at gunpoint, James said.

The man who had left the apartment called police. And Peterson barricaded himself in the home once they arrived. The standoff ensued, ending more than 15 hours later. By then, Hernandez was the lone hostage, held in a back bedroom as police were inside the apartment.

At one point, Peterson kicked out a rear screen in a failed bid to escape, said James, who was joined by Lt. John Agresta.

According to the account offered by James, Peterson gave Hernandez a number to call to reach his wife, but the woman -- incarcerated in New York City -- was unreachable. She had an order of protection against Peterson, the captain said.

Sometime around 2:30 p.m. Peterson fired his weapon; Hernandez screamed. She was not injured, but police were not sure about her well-being at the time, the captain said.

"So from that point, our concern from being on the outside was, Is he going to cause harm? After 12-plus hours has he finally made a decision that he's either going to end his life or end hers'?"

A State Police unit rammed its way into the bedroom.

Peterson was shot in the upper chest by a veteran of the State Police's Special Operations Response Team with more than 12 years experience, James said. He would not identify the trooper.

He said Peterson had refused commands to drop the weapon. Peterson was not wearing any body armor, the captain said.

James said he has spoken with Albany County prosecutors, but was unsure whether the trooper who shot Peterson would need to appear before a grand jury.

During the standoff, Peterson gave a rambling interview with a reporter from YNN. He said he wanted to speak to his ex-wife and police set out to find her. Once she was found in jail, New York City police flew her to Albany to help in the hostage negotiation.

Negotiations with Peterson were handled by Albany police, which were rotating at the scene with State Police.

"He wanted to speak with his (ex)-wife," James told reporters. "He appeared to be apologetic. The agreement was that his wife would not be available for him to speak to him unless he released the hostage. At that time at the scene, he was never allowed to speak with her. Obviously he didn't fulfill his part of the negotiation."

Peterson also said in his interview with YNN that he was set up. James would not comment on whether the man who called police had set him up.

On Friday morning, police tape remained at the scene in the Pastures neighborhood near South Pearl Street. So did two Albany police cars, which were waiting for the apartment to be boarded up.

Hernandez is not staying there.

Asked if he viewed the handling of the hostage crisis as a success, James said, "Yes I did, but I keep it in perspective. The success is you've got two children who were released, two adults who were ultimately released and they've got their life ahead of them. Certainly they may have to relive this event, but in the grand scheme of things they'll live to see another holiday and that's what the important thing is."